Our last post before we head full blast into the Holidays…
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CLAIRE DAVIS BELONGS TO ALL OF US
Last Friday night I was beaming with pride because of Sarah Clements’ fabulous appearance on the MSNBC Rachel Maddow Show – WATCH HERE.
Sarah, a 17 year old senior from Newtown, Connecticut, is the founder of the Junior Newtown Action Alliance, formed after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting last December. She has been active this last year lobbying Congress and organizing students across the country to change the culture of gun violence that is costing thousands of young lives.
I had the pleasure to meet Sarah in person recently at the Vigil for Gun Violence Victims at the National Cathedral in Washington D. C. We were online friends because of our mutual work to pass background checks for all gun sales – at both the federal and state level. Sarah is committed for life to working to end gun violence (her mother, a teacher at Sandy Hook, survived and protected a classroom of young students that tragic day). Sarah’s interview on the Rachel Maddow show was poised, professional and right on the money – I was cheering her on from my spot on the couch.
However, my mood changed abruptly – as did many survivors and “Sarah Clements” supporters around the country. Late Saturday afternoon, the family of Claire Davis, who was seriously injured during the Arapahoe High School shooting last week in Colorado, announced her death.
courtesy of thedenverchannel.com
I never met Claire Davis but her death pierced my heart. Claire, a high school senior just like Sarah, was supposed to have a long life ahead of her and find her place in the world.
As I mourned Claire I knew that every other surviving family who has lost a loved one due to senseless gun violence was feeling greater pain than I, their own raw wounds reopened. As a parent myself of a college age daughter, I can only imagine the intense grief of her family and friends.
“For those electeds who push for more access to guns, your insensitivity has cost one more innocent young life today.”
That’s what I posted on Twitter —but I wanted to say something way more harsh and direct. I was intensely angry and painfully sad.
Sarah Clements issued this statement shortly after from the Junior Newtown Action Alliance:
“She was just like us. She was a high school student with a warm smile, interesting hobbies, school work that kept her busy, and probably lots of friends who enjoyed her and now miss her terribly.
“With the news of Claire Davis’ death, we feel like we just lost one of our own close friends today, even though we never met her. We feel like we can stand with her friends and community and feel just exactly what they are feeling.
“To honor her memory, we will start by asking everyone to stop saying she was just “in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“Claire Davis was in the right place at the right time. She was doing what she was supposed to be doing. The gunman in #ArapahoeHS was in the wrong place at the wrong time doing what he shouldn’t be able to do.
“Let’s do what we can do to #HonorWithAction and make sure the “wrong place, at the wrong time” can’t happen so easily.
#Pray4Claire #RIPClaire #Fight4AFuture #WarriorStrong”
Even though all of our hearts hurt for Claire’s family and community this week, you can help Sarah. Join her efforts at Junior Newtown Action Alliance on Facebook and commit yourself to saving lives, as Sarah and I are doing.
It’s going to take a huge village across this nation to put an end to this senseless violence – but I’m confident we are sad but angry enough to do it.
Please. No More Silence.
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PROGRESSWOMEN WILL BE BACK AFTER JANUARY 1, 2014.
Join us during this holiday time as we go dark. It’s time to unplug a bit from the world and enjoy some down time with family & friends. Let’s all try to be kind and nice to each other. Wouldn’t that be a great way to start off 2014?